Abstract:

Objective   To investigate  the correlation between the levels of estrogen and high stimulus  rate  -auditory  -brainstem   response  test, and auditory and vestibular functions in post-menopause  with Meniere′s disease. Methods   43 patients with Meniere′s disease served as the experimental group and  another 30 post-menopausal healthy women as the control group, both had the levels of estrogen and pure tone audiometry determined, and a high  stimulus  rate   auditory   brainstem  response  test (ABR) and  a bithermal  caloric  test were performed. Results   The mean level of E2 was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group(t=2.60, P<0.05). The mean level of high  stimulus  rate   ABR  was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group(left ear： P<0.05； right ear： P<0.05). The mean level of unilateral weakness was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.01). The mean level of average hearing threshold was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group(left ear P<0.01； right ear P<0.01). The E2 level in the experimental group was negatively correlated with its high  stimulus  rate  ABR level(left r＝-0.229， P<0.05; right r＝-0.220， P<0.05), and the E2 level in the experimental group was negatively correlated with  its unilateral weakness level(r＝-0.328， P<0.05), but the E2 level in the experimental group had no correlation with its average hearing threshold.  ConclusionT   he present work suggested that the decrease of estrogen level might be lead to microcirculatory ischemia of the inner ear, and the estrogen level was positively correlated with vestibular function. Estrogen affected  occurrence and development of Meniere′s disease in post-menopause to some extent.

Key words: Post-menopausal; Meniere′s disease; Female; Estrogen; Auditory function;  Vestibular function